Epulo R.A.Townsend & Huisman, 2004
Holotype species: Epulo multipedes R.A.Townsend & Huisman
Original publication and holotype designation: Townsend, R.A. & Huisman, J.M. (2004). Epulo multipedes gen. et sp. nov. (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta), a coralline parasite from Australia. Phycologia 43: 288-295.
Request PDFPrecise date of publication: 28 May 2004 (stated at top of first page of article). The requirements for valid publication are specified in the ICBN (International Code of Botanical Nomenclature).
Description: Plants calcified (but see comments), lacking genicula, composed largely of unconsolidated filaments but becoming pseudoparenchymatous in areas of conceptacle production; vegetative portions of thallus endophytic in Jania verrucosa (the only known substrate) but conceptacles produced external to the host; haustoria present, consisting of specialized cells that form cell fusions with cells of host thallus
Thallus without apparent dorsiventral, radial or isobilateral organization; thallus construction diffuse to monomerous, consisting of discrete, branched filaments that become partially consolidated in areas of conceptacle production but collectively lack any regularised internal structure. Endophytic filaments apparently lacking epithallial cells but most conceptacle roof filaments each terminating in an epithallial cell; outermost walls of epithallial cells apparently rounded or flattened but not flared at the corners; cell-elongation characteristics uncertain; cells of adjacent filaments apparently not linked by cell fusions or by secondary pit-connections.
Female gametangia (carpogonia) and carposporophytes developing in uniporate conceptacles; male gametangia (spermatangia) and male conceptacles unknown. Carpogonia terminating 3?celled unbranched filaments that arise from the conceptacle chamber floor. Carposporophytes developing in carpogonial conceptacles after presumed fertilization; mature carposporophytes composed of a central fusion cell and ‘carposporangial chains’ (see comments) of up to four carposporangia .
Tetrasporangia formed in conceptacles on separate plants from gametangia and carposporangia; conceptacles not buried in host. Roofs of tetrasporangial conceptacles multiporate and composed of cells. Tetrasporangia each containing four zonately arranged spores and producing an apical plug that blocks a roof pore before spore release. Bisporangia unknown.
Information contributed by: Wm. J. Woelkerling. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2010-10-05 by M.D. Guiry.
Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.
Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Schneider, C.W. & Wynne, M.J. (2007). A synoptic review of the classification of red algal genera a half a century after Kylin's "Die Gattungen der Rhodophyceen". Botanica Marina 50: 197-249.
Comments: Knowledge of Epulo and the single known species, E. multipedes, is based entirely on the original detailed account (Townsend & Huisman 2004)of the type and only known collection. According to those authors, the extent to which vegetative thallus filaments are calcified is uncertain, but conceptacles definitely are calcified. In terms of growth-form (Woelkerling et al. 1993), plants of Epulo are classed as unconsolidated. The only known host is Jania verrucosa (Corallinaceae, subfamily Corallinoideae).
Epulo is presumed to be parasitic as evidenced by the occurrence of haustoria (specialized cells or extensions of cells that are presumed to absorb nutrients from a host organism). In Epulo, haustoria constitute entire cells that partially fuse with cells of the host. Haustoria have not been recorded to date for the other two currently recognized genera of Austrolithoideae (Austrolithon & Boreolithon), but only a few collections of each are known, and, consequently, the diagnostic value of haustorial occurrence in genera of the Austrolithoideae requires further study. Townsend & Huisman (2004), however, used haustorial occurrence to help delimit Epulo as a genus.
Townsend & Huisman (2004: 292, fig. 17) describe carposporophytes as producing ‘carposporangial chains’ of up to four carposporangia, but such chains do not appear evident in their figure 17, which seems to show short filaments with terminal carposporangia.
Biogeographically, Epulo presently is known only from the type collection, gathered at Long Reef Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The lists below of diagnostic characters of Epulo, and of the higher taxa to which it belongs, are derived from data in Townsend & Huisman (2004), Harvey, Broadwater, Woelkerling & Mitrovski (2003), Harvey, Woelkerling & Millar (2003), Le Gall & Saunders (2007), Woelkerling et al. (2008: 282) and/or Le Gall et al. (2009). Diagnostic characters are those that taken together distinguish a taxon from others of the same taxonomic rank (e.g. characters distinguishing Epulo from other genera of the Hapalidiaceae, subfamily Austrolithoideae).
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Contributors
Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera,
organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA)
and intended to be published in CD format.
These AlgaeBase descriptions are now being continually updated, and each current contributor is identified above.
The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present contributors and particularly the work of Dr Parker.
Descriptions of chrysophyte genera were subsequently published in J. Kristiansen & H.R. Preisig (eds.). 2001. Encyclopedia of Chrysophyte Genera. Bibliotheca Phycologica 110: 1-260.
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Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 05 October 2010. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 25 April 2024
